Civil and Political Rights

Respect for civil and political rights is a fundamental requirement of a legitimate democratic state. However, despite Israel's ratification of international covenants on civil and political rights such as the ICCPR, Israel systemically obstructs or denies these rights to Arab citizens.

Adalah's litigation activities include ensuring citizens' right to peaceful protest, including boycotts; defending Arab MKs against political persecution; challenging laws which violate freedom of expression and outlaw commemoration of the Nakba; and demanding accountability and investigation when the state employs violence against its own citizens, as it did in October 2000 with the murder of 13 Arab protesters.

Adalah has also been leading the legal campaign against the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) – 2003, which denies Palestinians living in the OPT who are married to Palestinian citizens of Israel the right to earn citizenship through family unification. This law is highly discriminatory, banning all Palestinians from family unification solely on the basis of national identity.

A complete list of cases is available here. To filter by specific topics, use the links above: